In commercial foodservice operations, supermarkets and other confined-space food preparation environments; food cooking and heating equipment can create undesirable air conditions when not properly vented. Untreated exhaust emissions from the equipment can be unacceptably warm, include smoke, grease and particulates that are unpleasant and unhealthy. In order to insure a healthy and safe environment for confined spaces, regulatory agencies monitor the installation of equipment and require that emissions generated from heating and cooking equipment be treated to acceptable levels before exhausting.
To ensure air quality, food exhaust emissions are usually treated with ventilation boxes (vents or hoods) that are suspended over all equipment and the emissions removed by ductwork to the exterior of the building. These ventilation systems are very expensive. They require extensive ducting and penetration through building structures. Grease and particles may buildup on the interior of the ductwork, requiring further expensive cleaning, which if not done adequately on a regular basis may result in fires.
Recently there have been developments in localized appliance venting whereby exhaust emissions are adequately treated and re-circulated back within a building structure. One such example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,522,770 to Colburn et. al. These appliances require that smoke, particulates, odor and grease be adequately removed from the air to a suitable level in order to return the air back into the building in a condition where the air is safe, healthy and pleasant. These appliances have saved a great deal of money and inconvenience compared to earlier solutions; however, they only work with certain types of food treatment equipment.
The use of steam cooking equipment utilizing both hot air and steam (combination ovens) has seen a dramatic increase in the last decade. These steam cooking appliances are versatile, have reduced processing times and produce healthy food. They are generally larger than standard ovens, but they can also exist as countertop equipment. The appliances are often used in locations other than central kitchens due to their flexibility and stand-alone functionality. They are also often used in multiple locations throughout a facility. This presents a challenge when trying to implement traditional venting that has ductwork to the outside of the building. The installation of that ductwork can be prohibitively expensive when trying to install the ducted venting at remote and multiple locations throughout a facility. In addition to emissions of grease, volatile oils, water vapor, odor, heat and sometimes smoke that is seen in a traditional oven, these appliances also emit a large amount of steam that requires treating and a drain for condensate. The steam must be condensed to water when vented from the oven and the condensed water must be cooled to less than 82° C. before reaching drain piping. Grease, smoke and odor from the air and steam must be removed before returning air to the enclosed environment. A further complication for these combination ovens is that the steam, hot air and particulates vent from multiple outlets; a sealed exhaust outlet connected to the oven and a different location when the door is opened. A venting solution must adequately capture and treat emissions from both of these exhaust locations.
This present patent application provides for an apparatus that converts hot air and steam emissions into cooler air and condensate. The apparatus is also capable of treating emissions from multiple exhaust sources.